Tube-closing machine



D60 1932- H. o. s. SCHILLING L A TUBE CLOSING MACHINE Filed April 26,1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l /n van for: HOG 5272 27223 3 Dec. H Q G, cH Lg N1,892,475

' TUBE CLOSING MACHINE Filed April 26 l9 30 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 -in whichalso the tubes are sustained Patented Dec. 27, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE GERMANY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF OF HAMBURG, GERMANY TUBE-CLOSINGMACHINE Application filed April 26, 1930, Serial No.

Thepresent invention has for its object to provide a machine for closingcollapsible tubes, which operates more rapidly than machines heretoforeknown, in which the pawl and ratchet mechanism for feeding the tubessustained by a common carrier and for moving the'closing mechanism sooperated that in one feeding movement the tubes were advanced and in thefollowing feeding movement the closing mechanisms were set in operation.In the present tube-closing maclhine ,y common carrier and 'n which alsoa pawl and ratchet mechanism is used to set the several closingmechanisms in operation, the arrangeand ratchet mechanism for conveyingthe tubes is connected with a member for moving the closing mechanismsso devised that on the retreat or reverse movement of the pawl theclosing mechanisms are set in operation, so that an advance movement isimparted to the tubes with each movement of the ratchet wheel.

The member for moving the closing mechanisms comprises a disk carryingthe pawl which actuates the ratchet wheel, the said disk being formedwith slots by which on rotation of the disk movement is transmitted tothe closing mechanism, parts extendlng concentrically from said slots inorder to avoid transmission of movement during the advance of the tubes.The tube holders are constructed after the fashion of pincers of whichoneleg is fixed to the common carrier and the other is pivotally mountedthereon, a stationary disk arranged at the level of the pivoted legbeing stepped at its edge in such legs each having an wise that thepivoted the stepped edge on extension bearing on passing the closingmechanisms engage a concentric part of greater radius which acts to holdthe pincers closed. A gap on the disk permits re-opening of the pincerspassing the same in order to allow the closed tube to fall out. A secondconcentric part of smaller radius permits opening of the pincers to aslight extent to permit introduction of new freshly filled tubes.

Adjacent to the said gap there is fitted to the stationary disk an armengaging a pin 447,754, and in Germany April 29, 1929.

of the pivoted pincer leg of which the extension is presented at themoment to the gap. This arm ensures that the pincer leg shall be pressedinto the gap so that the pincers are opened. For re-closing the pincersthere is pivotally mounted on a part of the stationary machine frame aspring-loaded lever which is normally held its spring in such a positionthat it is not in contact with any part of the pincers while an armpivoted to the moving member engages the spring-loaded lever on itsretreating movement and swings it so that the lever acts from behindagainst the said extension of the pivoted pincerleg and thus closes thepincers after the tube is dropped. Now the pivoted leg is brought withits extension into such a position that the extension bears against thesaid concentric part of the stationary disk of less radius whereby thepincers are held slightly open to permit, introduction of a new tube.

Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings is a side elevation, partly insection of a machine embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view.

Fig. 3 is' a plan view showing in detail the disk and the tube holdingand opening device,-

Fig. 4 is a plan view showing in detail the arrangement of the tubeholders,

Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 are views partly in vertical sectionindicating different steps in the operation of closing the end of acollapsible tube by means of the closing mechanism of the machine.

3 The pawl and ratchet mechanism for actuating the mechanisms set inoperation by a reciprocating rod a comprises an oscillatory arm I) .onwhi h is mounted a pawl 0 engageable with the teeth of the ratchet wheel(1. The ratchet wheel is fixed on a sleeve 9 surunder the action ofrounding a stationary post f while the arm b lating the disk 9'. On thesleeve 9 is mountbelow is ed a disk 72, supporting the tube holders 11formed after the fashion of pincers. One half of each tube holder, thatis, one leg is of the pincers is fixed on the disk It while the otherleg m is pivotally mounted on a pin n on the disk k. The pivoted leg hasan extension 0 and preferably carries a roller p in the horizontal planeof which is a stationary disk 9. The disk 9 is mounted on the machineframe or a sub-frame fixed to the machine frame and consisting of abracket 1' and a multi-arm structure 8 fixed on a polygonal portion ofthe as a portion 9' concentric with the post 7 and of large radius and aportion 9 also concentric with the post 7 and of less radius preferablyconcyclic with the outer face of the bracket r. In the direction beyondthe bracket 1- the disk 9 presents a gap 51 During the rotation of thedisk 72. the tubes to be closed are introduced into the pincers k, m atthe time at which the roller 3 is running on the concentric portion 9 ofthe disk 9 whereby the pincers are opened sufiiciently wide to permitconvenient insertion of the tube. The legs k and m of the pincers arenow closed when the roller 39 runs on the high portion 9 of the disk 9.In the further rotation of the disk 7:. the tubes which are now firmlyheld are led past the closing mechanisms. As soon as the closure of atube is completed the extension 0 of the pincer leg m comes opposite thegap 9 of the disk 9 atwhich moment the pin u mounted on the extension 0of the pivoted leg is retained by an arm 2) attached to the stationarydisk 9 wherethe pincers are opened as shown at the right-hand in Figs.2, 3 and 4, this being rendered possible by reason that the roller p canenter the gap 9 The opening of the pincers permits the tube held therebyand now fully closed to drop out. An arm 1" on the bracket 1' carries apivot for a lever u which at one end is engaged by a spring a in suchwise that it is normally held in an inclined position such that the pinu can move beneath the free end of the lever it, which lever preferablycarries a roller u A tongue 'w" mounted on the arm 6 and preferablycarrying a roller a abuts on retraction of the arm 6 against the upperarm of the lever 11 in such wise that the roller 24 engages the pin ulocated in its path and moves it in the direction of rotation of thesupporting disk 72 This takes place at the moment at which the pin u isreleased by the arm 12 and the tube is permitted to drop. Under theaction of the lever 'u' the pincers are again closed and in the furtheradvance of the disk the relative roller ;0 can run on the concentricportion 9 of small radius of the disk 9.

The closing of the tubes is effected in four stages of operation. A tubewhich has been freshl engaged by a pair of pincers (Fig. 1 retained bythe pincers which are post 7: The disk 9' then closed (Fig. 2 to theleft) by reason that the roller p has run on to the high edge 9' of thedisk 9, whereupon the tube passes to the mechanism shown in Figs. 5 and6. This mechanism consists of two slides carrying radially guided jaws wand w and having rollers w and '10" which engage cam slots 7" and 7' inthe disk j. lVhen tension is exercised on the rod a, it moves togetherwith the arm 6 to the left and the pawl c entrains a tooth of theratchet wheel cl and causes the lefthand pincers to pass under theaction of the mechanism '20 while the pincers, the tube carried by whichhas been acted on by the mechanism w, passes under the second mechanism(1.. During this advance movement no action of the said mechanism wtakes place as only the concentric portions of the cam slots 7" and 7'leave the rollers 10 ,10 uninfluenced. Also in the initial retreatingmovement or retraction of the rod (1, when the pawl c slips idly overthe following tooth, the mechanism '20 remains inoperative. The ends ofthe slots 1' and 7' are however directed at an inclination so that theyconverge and in the last part of the retraction of the rod a the jaw's'w and 'w of the said mechanism are moved toward one another and thusclamp together the end of the tube which is on top for the time being,so that the tube assumes the form shown in Fig. 7.

lVhen the disk the inclined rollers 10 and w, the rod a has been so farretracted that the pawl 0 has passed behind the succeeding tooth and inthe following advance movement of the rod a the aws w and 'w are againopened and at the same time there is effected further rotation of thedisk It until the pincers pass from one closing mechanism to the nextwhile a new tube comes within the range of the mechanism 'w it beingunderstood that in the last part of the movement the concentric portionsof the slots j, j leave said closing mechanism uninfluenced.

The tube shown in Fig. 7 which, as stated, is pressed together at itsends is now operated on by the closing mechanism as consisting of twoslidesguided at an inclination and provided with suitable tongues w andm which carry pairs of rollers m 00 branching there from at rightangles. Between the pair of rollers m is interposed a roller-a2 andbetween the rollers a2 is a roller m. The rollers x w are mounted on theends of rods 7' 7' which are carried by slides and j, Figs. 2 and 8,which form parts of the closing mechanism 7'", and also rollers j and 7'which engage slots i and i of the disk formed similarly to the slots 7"and 7' The rods 7' and j are held at the center by the slides and 7' andat their opposite ends the said rods also carry rollers y and 3 whichengage between pairs of rollers 1 and y and are carried by slides alsojhas been turned so far that parts engage with their ends theof thewalls of the guided at an inclination and provided with projections yand 3 The operation of the three closing mechanisms w, j and y is asfollows After the tube, as shown in Fig. '2', has passed to the closingmechanism 0:, as the slides 9' and j approach one another the tongues mand :0 under the action of the slots i and i so' that the outermostextremity of the compressed end portion of the tube is folded over andthe form shown in Fig. 7 is converted into that shown in Fig. 8. In thenext following operation by the closing mechanism j consisting of therollers y" and 9" the folded over outer end is pressed flat, and in thenext following operation the tongues y and g (Fig. 9), which form theclosing mechanism 3 are pressed towards one another. Thereby thehalfclosed end is again folded over, so that the tube passes from theform shown in Fig. 9 into that shown in Fig. 10.

The closing mechanism a last to come into operation is constructedsimilarly to the closing mechanism w and comprises slides carryingclamping jaws z and 2 and provided with rollers 2 and a which engageslots 3} and j in the disk 7'. The operation is such that the foldingover of the compressed end of the tube is completed.

In the next stage there is effected release of the tube by the pincerswhich is now opened as shown at the right in Fig. 2.

I claim 1. In av tube closing machine the combination comprising aplurality of closing mechanisms, a common tube carrier adapted to moveintermittently, tube holders supported by said carrier and adapted to beautomatically closed and opened, a pawl and ratchet mechanism effectingthe advance movement of said tube carrier, a member conthe movements ofsaid closing mechtrolling anisms, said controlling member being couledwith said pawl and ratchet mechanism or operating said closingmechanisms upon the retreating movement of said pawl.

2. A tube closing machine according to claim 1, in which the member formoving the closing mechanisms consists of a disk carrying the pawl andprovided with slots, parts s ots forming cams to transmit movement tothe closing mechanisms on rotation of the disk, and other parts of thewalls of the slots being concentric with the disk to avoid tIBJISmlSSIODOf movement during the advanceof the tubes.

3. A tube closing machine according to claim 1, comprising tube holdersformed after the fashion of pincers with two limbs, one limb being fixedto the common carrier and the other limb pivoted thereto, a stepped diskdisppsed in a horizontal plane of the pivoted lim an extension on saidpivoted limb of the tube holder, normally bearing on the ledge of saidstepped disk to be engaged thereby to close the tube holders, a fip inthe stepped disk to efiect reopening of e tube holders to release thetube and to permit introduction of the freshly filled tube.

4. In a tube closing machine, the combination comprising a plurality ofclosing mechanisms, a common tube carrier adapted to moveintermittently, a pawl and ratchet mechanism eflecting the advancemovement of said tube carrier, a member connected with said pawl andratchet mechanism adapted to operate said closing mechanisms upon theretreating movement of said pawl, tube holders formed with two limbs,one limb bein fixed to the common carrier and the other lim pivotedthereto, a stepped disk disposed in the horizontal plane of the ivotedlimb, an extension on said pivoted lim normally hearing on the edge ofsaid stepped disk to be engaged thereby in order to close the tubeholders, said stepped disk having a gap therein to efiect the reopeningof the tube holders in order to release the tube and to permitintroduction of a freshly filled tube, said stepped disk also carryingan arm adjacent to said gap, a pin on the pivoted limb of said tubeholders, said arm being adapted to engage said pin the moment it passessaid gap to force the extension of said pivoted limb into said gap toopen the holders successively, a lever on the stationary machine framenormally out of contact with any part of the tube holders, a spring enaging said lever, an arm fitted to the mova le awl carrier of the pawland ratchet mechanism adapted on its retreating movement to engage saidlever which thereby strikes against said pin or said pivoted lever towithdraw the extension of said limb out of said ap to reclose the openedtube holder where y the finally closed tube is allowed to drop.

In: testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specifi cation. HUGOOTTO GEORG SOHILLING.

